Year Three
by l Hypocrisy l
Summary: It's their last year of Tōtsuki and only eleven students remain. Who will come out as the number one student of the famed culinary academy? Who are the ones that will be further used as stepping stones? And is there a possibility for some romance? Soma x Erina the main focus.
1. Prologue

**Year Three**

_Prologue_

When Nakiri Senzaemon, the _Food's Demon King_ said that ninety-nine percent of all Tōtsuki students were going to be used as "sacrificial stepping stones" to polish the remaining one percent… everyone knew he wasn't lying; and those that were foolish enough not to heed his words were definitely not among the few standing in front of him today.

The elderly man with long spiky hair, a full beard and mustache was overly intimidating that day, but the look that he shared to his final group of culinary students was anything but. Smiling from ear to ear, he eyed them warmly. They were _indeed_ the best of the best… that one percent. Out of the one thousand first years of the 92nd generation… only a measly eleven had remained.

They were lined up, shoulder by shoulder, facing forward in a military sort of fashion, dressed neatly in their uniforms in his moderately large office. From left to right, they stood based on rank from eleventh seed to first. That was one of the key differences to start with in their final year. Everyone had a rank so they knew how their peers saw them. Based on performances in class, tournaments, and Shokugeki's, they would either move up or down depending on the result.

As of now, in the eleventh spot stood Ibusaki Shun. He was one of four Polar Star Dorm students that made up the final eleven; it was ironic how the Polar Star hostel was deemed an ancient relic, a washed up home for the lowest students of Tōtsuki yet for this generation it made up the majority of the remaining students. Shun stood as straight as he could, his long curly brown hair hanging messily over his face, hiding his eyes from Senzaemon. The Tōtsuki director need not see his eyes to judge his character; anyone that made it this far had been put through enough. Dubbed _The Prince of Smoke_, Shun had earned his right to be among the eleven.

The Nakiri elder's eyes' then made their way to Sakaki Ryōko, the tenth seed. She was another student from the Polar Star Dorm, whom he would have not figured to make the remaining bunch. Long purple hair about waist length partnered with an amazing bust and a pretty face, Ryōko had surprised many along her way. She was out to prove not only to herself but everyone out there that with determination and hard work, her salt-water cooking style could be one of the best in the world. However, most of her motivation came from the promises she made with Yoshino Yūki and Marui Zenji at the end of their second year. Ryōko and the remaining students of the Polar Star family promised to achieve it all for their fallen friends. Yūki especially, was always on her mind.

Standing ninth was the voluptuous and ever so confident Mito Ikumi. The ganguro queen of meat always knew she would make it to this point. However being ninth was not what she had envisioned. Having been humbled by her eventual red haired crush, she learned just having the best materials did not necessarily make the best dish. It's how you used your resources, and how you make them compliment one another that will lead you to success. The boy with the peculiar scar above his left eyebrow had opened her world, and thus unbelievably, helped her reach this point. But it was not just the red head; the now graduated Konishi Kanachi had played a big role as well. As much as she would want to deny it, the black pompadour haired man had become a friend and a guide to her. Helping her blend her skills with meat in the style of Don R's, Ikumi plans to graduate Tōtsuki and further the positive reputation of donburi dishes at the school.

Bright and bubbly as always, Tadokoro Megumi was proud to be among the last eleven. Ranked eighth, her journey to the summit probably seemed the most unlikely out of all the students in her generation. She stood proper and held her head high, knowing she put everything she had into reaching this spot. She again, was able to keep up with _him…_ Since his arrival at the school the spiky haired son of Yukihira Jōichirō had turned her fortunes around. She went from the girl that was laughed at and unreliable to one that her family and friends all the way back home can speak about with pride. She had also grown not to lean on the Yukihara genius, developing her own confidence and skills. Her fish handling abilities paired with her kindness and love that was felt through her dishes became popular news around the school and made her a lovable figure for all the new students. She was still the clumsy and often brainless girl she was when she first came to Tōtsuki, but with the guidance of her red haired idol, Megumi has realized she has potential for so much more.

Kurokiba Ryō had one thing on his mind. Move up from this seventh place rank so he can be closer to the one who vowed to show him the world. The silver haired beauty that had calmed the beast inside of him was running away… the distance between his cooking and hers were starting to show. The messy haired red-eyed boy that was once referred to as a _Mad Dog_ was now finally starting to understand just what the Nakiri daughter meant when she said "the vast world of gourmet food." Everyone here was a perfect example of that, all having his or her own styles and specialties. And this was just the tip of the iceberg. He needed to catch up to the Denmark native and fast… for the farther he slipped away from her, the more the beast came out. She was his Belle, and without her guidance the dark haired teen might fall back into madness.

Known as simply the Tōtsuki princess' aide for the longest of times, Arato Hisako had dutifully followed her cherished idol into the final cluster of students. Much like Ryō before her, she had similar thoughts on her mind. How could she have possibly let the enemy get so close to her life-long friend! This was unacceptable! She had to improve upon her rankings and fast. Though she had to admit, over the years, the Yukihara cook had slowly started to win her respect with all his impressive feats. Also after finding out his lineage at the end of last year, Hisako looked at him slightly different. No longer was he a cook from the base, he had some root of novelty. However, her opinions on that man mattered not. All that counted now was to keep him away from the prized Nakiri jewel.

Nakiri Senzaemon now turned his gaze upon the final five. As he watched them keenly, he noticed a gap difference. These five were on a completely different level from the previous six. In fact, he wondered if the rankings past this point even mattered. Just standing before them, they were all emitting an aura of skill beyond their young years.

Closing out the top five, Hayama Akira stood as calm as ever. Senzaemon noticed the look of ease he had compared to the ones he gazed upon before. In fact, he looked so at ease that it seemed as if his mind was somewhere else completely… If only the director knew. Akira's mind wasn't really all here at the moment. In fact, his thoughts continued to drift back to just a few hours before he arrived in Senzaemon's office, where he and Shiomi Jun had a heart-to-heart conversation. She told him starting today, he would have to devote everything he had towards the school. There was no more time for him to be wasting his time and energy on her. It sounded like she was pushing him away, but he knew she wanted what was best for him… but was it really for the best?

The Italian wonder-kid, Takumi Aldini showed no signs of pressure or fear. In fact, out of all the students he seemed to appear the most determined. The fourth rank Tōtsuki student had much to fight for this year. There were so many subplots involved with his journey. From his brother, Isami dropping out because the family restaurant at home needed help, to the Yukihara genius ranking above him… He vowed he would be number one at Tōtsuki when their final year was up. He was even so sure that he made that statement to his rival in front of everyone after the last day of classes. However much like in Yukihara fashion, the red head did not hear a word he said and it lead to an embarrassing proclamation from the Italian chef.

_Third huh?_ Thought Alice, a small smile gracing her delicate features. She was fine with this… only two spots short of number one with a whole year left to go. Plus she knew the difference level in cooking and the points separating her from being ranked number one was as thin as a strand of hair. She looked to her left and her smile widened. After her first semester at the school, she had known for a long time she would be facing down with the two in front her. She knew it the day she saw them standing together at the Hellish Training Camp, they would be the only ones to oppose her reign. She was going to be beat them, it was that simple… she had the skill, the ability to produce, and the creative intentions to pull it all off. Tōtsuki and the Nakiri family will have a new princess, and the one they call Yukihara will be humbled at the end of this year. She gave her grandfather a wink, and he returned her playful gesture.

Nakiri Senzaemon looked upon Yukihara Soma with much delight. He knew from the moment he tasted the boy's dish during the entrance exam, he would be something special, so he took the risk and accepted him even though he received a failing grade. And when he witnessed the sparks of challenge between his granddaughter and the scar-faced boy at the entrance ceremony, he knew then and there he made the right decision. He would be the man to push his granddaughter to a whole new level. Would he have guessed that Soma would push not only the little princess, but his other granddaughter as well and also practically everyone standing before him? Only someone from the future could see that far ahead. But he was definitely pleased. For a second, thoughts of whom would be in front of him raced by if he did not accept the talented cook.

There really wasn't much to say about second place. As Yukihara Soma saw it, it just means he's the first loser. However he still kept a grin on his face. He was confident and cool, like always. Did he foresee he would be sandwiched between the two Nakiri dolls and rank second in the whole school entering his third year? Yeah, knowing Soma he probably did, for he never saw himself as anything but the best. This however did not mean he was arrogant. He was humble, kind, and welcoming to all. Always the first to defend those being picked on and worked his tail off to get to where he is today. But he couldn't deny the selfish need of wanting to be first! It was the competitiveness in him. He also needed to prove to his old man he was one of the greatest cooks in the world, and the day of him surpassing his father was growing ever so closer. To his savior, the annoyed look to the person left of him made him feel slightly better and it was this which was the cause for the grin on his face. Since the day she met him, she'd always try to remind him of his position and that he would never reach the likes of her. And now here they were, shoulder by shoulder… He poked his elbow out, nudging her in the side as if to remind her how close their proximity, and better yet their ranks were. This caused an immediate scowl and glare on the face of the woman ranked number one.

This action did not go unnoticed by the Tōtsuki director. He smiled knowingly.

Outwardly, Nakiri Erina appeared cool, stoic, and a bit smug. On the inside however, there were so many battles going on with her emotions. It's true that she was unsurprised at the fact that she was number one entering their final year. She expected nothing less. But she hid her excitement and her annoyance. She was excited and happy that she was first because she wanted to show her grandfather she was definitely going to be the best in Tōtsuki. She wanted to show Hisako all the hard work they did together amounted to success, even if people thought they were just exceptional with everything. She wanted to jump for joy, party, and do all the other foolish yet seemingly fun things that normal people do… But she couldn't. She was not normal. She was _the_ Nakiri Erina, the one that was "gifted" with "God's Palate." She was not afforded these silly things, at least well in public. She had a reputation to uphold.

Her annoyance on the other hand stemmed from the man next to her.

Who would have guessed that some lowly boy from a special-of-the-day shop would eventually become her greatest threat to the Tōtsuki throne aside from Alice? Add that on top of the fact that he turned out to be the son of her role model, yeah life sure had a cruel way of playing jokes. She would of actually even praised him for all his achievements had they not started off on the wrong foot. Come to think of it, she would have even offered him the chance to join her faction. Erina inwardly smiled, imagining the thought of sitting on Soma like a chair and ordering him around. If only he was more like a trained dog… the thought brought her back to one of her first impressions of him. He never understood her nobility. _Just like a stray dog who doesn't understand a gem's value…_

After glancing over them one last time, Nakiri Senzaemon felt it was now his time to speak. He was going to introduce them the challenges of their final year.

* * *

**Authors Note**: Bam! And that right there is the Prologue! I got so many ideas for this Fanfic and I'm just bursting with excitement. Also, I think this is the first Shokugeki No Soma Fanfic on the site! Hahaha! Oh man so excited! I saw on the FB fan page that they had created a category! Really excited! Hope to see other Shokugeki No Soma works out there as well.

Also yes, there will be romance in this Fanfic. I've been thinking of a whole bunch of different stuff and have settled on four couples for this fic. Hahah. I won't reveal three of them, but I will let you know the main one, Erina x Soma. I absolutely adore Megumi but I personally prefer Erina as the main romantic interest for Yukihara. However don't worry, I got some ideas for our little Megumi! Haha.

Read and Review! Let me know what you think!


	2. Take Me For A Joyride

**Year Three**

_Chapter 1: Take Me For A Joyride_

Two weeks into the first semester of their final year, things have calmed down quite nicely. And though this was a good thing, the professor was ready to shake the class up once more.

Nakiri Senzaemon sat at the head of the room as he watched his students pile in one by one. They all took their seats, chatting and what not excitedly about their recent activities and what they were probably going to cook today. He had put them through a lot, testing them on all things from textbook spices to levels of tenderness and such. He enjoyed pushing them to their limits. But all the things they did were just a test to gage their abilities. The real challenge started today.

It was quite the shock when the young cooks first realized he would be their teacher, and rightfully so. The Tōtsuki director had never taught a class at the academy before, and the truth was he never felt the need to. He had handpicked his staff and knew they were all overly capable to teach and form the young. But this year, these third years… he wanted to shape them himself.

He felt the personal need to have a hand in their growth. First and most importantly he had two of his granddaughters present this year. And not just any, but two of the most promised young talents in the world. He wanted nothing to stop or deter their growth, and so he put the responsibilities of their learning onto himself. And then he had that boy, Yukihara Soma whom he had handpicked; he was like the diamond in the rust. Went unnoticed by most but he knew the talent, and he been knew the heritage. At first glance, he had seen a young Jōichirō.

Snapped out of his musings by the approaching Arato Hisako, the bearded man gave the young girl a welcoming smile.

"Ms. Arato, class starts in a few minutes. Is there something on your mind?"

"Yes Nakiri-sama," Hisako began giving a slight bow of the head. "Erina-sama wanted me to let you know she will be arriving a few minutes late today. She had a mandatory meeting to attend but promises that this will not happen again."

"Hmm." With the nod of his head he acknowledged the tardiness, and watched as Hisako went to take her seat at the front of the class. Now that she mentioned it, Hisako was right. Erina was nowhere to be seen, and she's usually one of the first to arrive.

This would cause a bit of issues for the plans he had today, but he would work things out. Looking around the class, he noticed two other students were missing.

'_I wonder_' thought the director but soon enough Tadokoro Megumi raced in the room, huffing and puffing.

"Made it," she breathed out clutching her chest. This amused the director and some of the class.

She hurriedly sat down next to Ryōko and Shun who eyed her worryingly.

"Where's Soma?" whispered Ryōko.

"Don't tell me he's still at the Polar Star?" followed up Shun.

"Uh-, um, he told me to go on ahead" Megumi squeaked. "He should be here any minute now."

Ikumi behind the group tapped Megumi's chair. "Hey, what's that idiot thinking? He surely doesn't want to get in trouble with the _Food's Demon King!_"

Takumi leaned back in his seat. "That Soma… he thinks the world revolves around him."

"That's funny coming from you" Ikumi retorted defending her friend. "You guys act the same anyways, so does that mean you think the world revolves around you too?"

"What now?" Takumi challenged.

Nakiri Senzaemon saw this escalating quickly. He took this as his cue to begin class, and with a loud cough followed by the clearing of his throat, everyone settled down.

"May I have your attention" the Demon King began. "The past two weeks have been quite fun. I have come to understand your strengths and your weaknesses. Since you saplings came to Tōtsuki, it's always been an individual battle. I've strategically set you up against one another, that way your skills continue to sharpen and only the strongest survive..."

He chuckled to himself. For what reason no one knew or even dared to ask. The elder man then started to stroke his beard and leaned against his table.

"Starting today, you will not only juggle fighting each other, but you will be working in teams." This caused everyone to go wide-eyed.

"Teams?" mumbled Akira. He certainly did not want to be working with anyone else. He's always cooked alone. Aside from usually making spices with Jun, he was always by himself. '_This will be annoying'_ he thought.

Alice turned to Ryō and smiled. If it were teams, this would be more than easy. Of course they would have to face off against Erina and Hisako, but that was a challenge she was looking forward to. Ryō returned her look, pleased if he could work with Alice.

'_This is good' _he thought. _'If I'm working with Alice, I can still remain by her side.'_

"You will be working in groups of three," continued the Tōtsuki director. "I had made a list of the teams I originally wanted to be together. However since two of your classmates are missing, I am adjusting these teams a bit. When I call your names, I want you to get in your groups."

'_Oh No!_' thought everyone simultaneously. _'Anything but assigned groups!' _All of them feared for the worst, especially Megumi. She did not want to be in any uncooperative group filled with egos. She placed her head down on the table, waiting for her overly dramatic life sentence.

"Group one will be Ibusaki Shun, Mito Ikumi, and..." the director looked around the room. He wanted to make interesting teams. It would be no fun if there were no conflict of interest. He then remembered Ikumi and Takumi's little spat earlier. He smiled evilly. "Takumi Aldini."

The three then turned to look at each other. Shun seemed to be fine with the team giving the two a smile.

"You've got to be kidding. Me, him, and you" Ikumi said now pointing her finger at Takumi. "Why couldn't I be partnered with Soma-kun?" she bemoaned…

"Jeez…" Takumi sighed and closed his eyes. "The world has it out for me."

The three of them moved to sit next to each other.

"Group two," Nakiri Senzaemon continued. "Kurokiba Ryō, Sakaki Ryōko, and…" He looked around the classroom once again and met with the pleading eyes of Alice. He loved his granddaughters, and it was not a well-kept secret he'd do anything for them. Did he have the will to refuse her?

"And my granddaughter Alice" he sighed in defeat.

"Yes!" Alice fist pumped and beamed brilliantly at Ryō. He in turn was equally as happy. Glad that they were partners, but even happier at the fact that Alice wanted to be in the same group as him. The two then turned to face Ryōko who gave them an uneasy smile.

"Wow, to partnered with Alice and her bodyguard. This going to be interesting" Ryōko noted.

Megumi patted her friend on the back, reassuring her things were going to be fine.

The three of them then followed the actions of the group before and moved to sit next to each other.

"Now, group three."

Hisako clasped her hands together hoping for her name to be called with Erina…

"_Please, please, please let it be me and Erina-sama in the same group!"_

"Hayama Akira, Tadokoro Megumi, and Arato Hisako."

Hisako groaned, face palming herself in the process. This was just her luck. Erina just had to be late today of all days… She then turned and looked towards her new teammates. She thought of many actions before she settled on being kind. If everyone got along then things might not be as bad.

She tried to play nice and gave the two an attempt at a smile.

Megumi saw Hisako's surprising shot at friendship and returned it eagerly, relieved that maybe this group thing wont be so bad. She clearly shared the same sentiments as Erina's aide. Akira on the other hand wasn't as friendly as the other two. He gave them both nods and then went back to his musings. The two girls raised a brow simultaneously at this. However they both decided not to question it and instead, moved to where he was sitting.

Then it just hit everyone in class. There were two people still not put into a group! And those two were…

"Now then as you all know we have a weird number of students this year," said Nakiri Senzaemon. "I decided to make groups of three, knowing that this would create one group with only two members. Since Erina and Yukihara Soma are late today, they will be in the group of two."

Everyone in the class just froze. ERINA and SOMA! In the same group at that! They were going to kill each other! Or rather, Erina was going to kill poor Soma! The whole class knew their relationship. It was pretty damn one-sided, with the vengeful Erina always scheming against Yukihara and the oblivious Soma thinking them to be friends.

Hisako quickly raised her hand knowing how Erina would feel about this situation. "Nakiri-sama! Would you mind re… re-organizing the groups? Erina-sama and Yukihara-san don't-"

"Get along?" He finished for her. She nodded meekly. "I know. But the more I think about it, I like the idea. First off this is punishment for the two arriving late to one of my lectures, even if one of them has an excuse. However this also seems to work out. They are the two highest ranked, therefore being down a member would not be seen as a handicap. And they will learn to work together."

Everyone in the class just sat quietly.

"I suggest everyone here worry more about themselves than those two. These group projects will be semester long and they will require everything out of you."

Nakiri Senzaemon smiled. Oh yes, he was definitely going to enjoy these groups.

* * *

_[Forty minutes before class started]_

"Come on Soma-kun! We're going to be late!" whined Tadokoro.

"Gimme a sec Megumi. I just need to take the meat from the freezer downstairs and bring it up so it can defrost for dinner later tonight!" He had just finished the dishes from their breakfast and was now washing his hands.

It was Soma's day to do the cooking. The Polar Star household had a rule where a different member of the family did the day's meals. Today obviously was Soma's.

"I told you to take it out last night! You should have listened to me."

"Yeah I know," Soma answered. "But I just thought it would be more fresh this way if I take it out in the morning!"

Ryōko and Shun watched the exchange and waited patiently. Getting a bit nervous they decided to leave and head to class. The distance from their place and the academy was a good half-an-hour walk. They didn't want to arrive late to one of the Food's Demon King's classes.

Megumi decided to stay and help Soma bring up the meat. For a few minutes they searched but couldn't find it. Soma was sure it was in the freezer downstairs and so did Megumi. Time was running short and Soma eventually told Tadokoro to leave without him.

The young cook then raced around the dorm looking in all the freezers placed around the building. This was a cooking building after all, and there were freezers everywhere! Eventually he found the meat in one of the outdoor refrigerators.

'_Fumio must've' moved it out here'_ the young chef concluded. He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. "Crap! Class starts in five minutes! I'm so dead!"

He ran towards the back of the house and pulled out his old bicycle.

"Thank god I brought this along with me for situations like this!"

Soma hopped on his bike and raced down the road to Tōtsuki. Knowing he was already pretty late, he threw carefulness aside and sped down the path. Pulling his phone out of his pocket while keeping his other hand on the wheel, he looked down to see class was now starting. "Damn" he muttered.

Lifting his head up, Soma only then noticed he was on a collision course with a black car making a bend around the corner. It was already too late to avoid the crash, as he was moments away from colliding with the mid of the vehicle. Instead he tried to turn the wheel so he could just graze the car. Unluckily for him, he was not fast enough and the wheel hit against the lower base of the black car and grinded against it. The pressure of the continuous contact caused one of Soma's spokes from his front wheel to separate from the frame. The now loose spoke bore into the black car's back wheel popping the tire and sending the car into a skid.

Soma fell off his bike with a thump and watch as the accident caused the car to slide over towards the edge of the road and come to a complete stop.

The driver hopped out the car and started yelling at Yukihara.

"What the hell kid? Watch where you're going!"

Soma bowed his head and continued to make apologies. "Sorry, sorry!" he waved. There really was nothing else to say, this was his entire fault. He was glad the car only slid from the blown wheel and nothing catastrophic happened.

"Yu-Yukihara!"

Soma looked up to see Erina marching her way over to him, both hands held in a fist tightly. Judging from the opened car door, she was the passenger inside.

"N-Nakiri?" Soma said surprised. "What are you doing here? Running late too?" he joked, a sheepish smile on his face because of the accident he caused.

"Obviously!" She shouted. "Look what you've done! Do you even pay attention to where you're going? One moment I'm just minding my own business looking out my window and then wham! I see your bike slamming right in my face!"

Soma scratched the back of his head and continued to give an apologetic smile. "I said I'm sorry. Listen I know this is my entire fault. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Ugh!" Erina stomped her foot and placed her hand on her hips. "How incompetent can you be?"

"Erina-sama" the driver said now making his way to the two after inspecting the car. "We don't have an extra wheel in the trunk, I will have to call for assistance. Luckily that's the only damage done."

"Lucky" she repeated sarcastically. She then shook her head and then looked back at Soma. "I should sue you Yukihara." The idea pleased her to an extent, but she sighed knowing it would be useless. "However knowing you, you probably don't even have the money to afford a new wheel for my car."

Soma laughed thinking she was just joking. Brushing aside her comments he went to look at his bike. "_Damn it took a pretty hard beating but only a spoke came off! I'm fortunate!" _he thought.

Erina was slightly irritated. He was ignoring her.

Soma picked up the bike and tried sitting on it. The bike held his weight perfectly, and seemed like nothing was wrong with it.

"Hey Erina my bike is fine!" said Soma, as if that was the most important thing right now.

Erina raised an annoyed eyebrow at his proclamation… "Who cares about your stupid bike! How am I going to get to class now?"

Soma then brought the bike over to her and pointed at it. "Well this _stupid_ bike here is working. Hence it can get us to class." He spoke slowly, as if he was talking to a child. He even made quotation gestures with his hand when he said the word "stupid" to get his point across.

"What are you talking about? How is that bike going to get BOTH of us to class?" Erina flicked her hair back and continued to sternly glare at him.

"You've never ridden a bike before have you?" Soma asked, not even the slightest bit fazed at the raging Nakiri.

"W-What?" The Tōtsuki princess was caught off guard, her face blushed slightly. It was true; she had never ridden a bike before. Not because she never wanted to, but the opportunity never arouse. She was always driven everywhere, or she flew to places. Never was she ever forced to learn and ride to a destination. "W-What does that have that have to do with anything!"

"Well two people can ride bike if you know how. All I have to do is adjust the seat, so there is room for the two of us!" With that said, Soma began to do just that, adjust the seat.

"B-But wait! I don't know how to ride remember!"

Soma finished moving the seat back so that way, there was enough room for two. "Just be quite and hop on!"

"I'm not getting on… that!" Erina pointed at the worn out bike. "That doesn't even look safe!" She crossed her hands and turned on her heels. She was not "_hopping_" on anything. Erina started making her way back to the car.

"Ok, fine with me. You can arrive even later if you want. I understand if you're scared."

Erina grinded her teeth. He had a point. She was definitely going to arrive even later than expected for she had no idea how long it would take for this extra wheel to come. But what drove her over the edge was that he called her scared! This Nakiri Erina was scared of nothing! Especially of some measly bike ride.

Unwillingly, driven by her pride, she made her way back to Soma.

"Fine! Just tell me what to do so we can get this over with and we can be on our way."

Soma gave her a wide grin and held the bike upright. He hopped on the bike and sat at the tip of the seat, making sure not to take up too much room.

"Ok, now you hop on behind me! And remember to tuck your legs in!"

"A-Are you serious!" Erina stuttered, her face now the color of a tomato. Just the idea of being that close to Soma in that type of position was causing her all sorts of embarrassment.

"Well yeah, how else are we going to do it?" The red head said, oblivious to the torment this was causing the girl.

Erina looked down and squeezed her fists. _I'd get you back one day for this Yukihara Soma!_ Without a further word, Erina hopped on to the back of the bike flattening out her skirt so she could sit on it. The last thing she wanted was for a wardrobe malfunction.

She couldn't believe the situation they were in! And to be in such a compromising position too. Her face could not be any redder.

"Ok, now put your arms around me. I'm about to start peddling." Before Erina could even protest, Soma took off which instinctively caused Erina to wrap her hands around the boy's waist.

Yukihara, as unmindful as always, thought nothing out of the ordinary. He rode down the road calmly, making sure to be safe since he now had a passenger with him. They were going to be late to class, that was for sure. But at least he wouldn't have to pay for the wheel of a car. He was sure Erina would not charge him. They were friends, right?

Erina on the other hand could not stop thinking about their current predicament.

She could feel everything. She could feel his cold back bracing against her warm chest, shielding her from the open wind. She noticed every time they rode over a bump, the way her unclothed thighs smacked against his clad ones. She became overly aware at the fact that at every turn he made, she would grip his abdomen tighter. She also felt the warmth of his neck the occasional times her forehead would lean against him. _It was all too much!_ If Soma had taken a moment to just turn his head and look at her, he would have seen the image of the most red-faced, embarrassed filled Erina that ever existed.

The two rode in silence. They were both perfectly fine with that. Soma didn't know what to say to be honest. He's normally a talker, but he didn't want to take the chance at stirring up Erina. Any wrong move and they could go toppling over. There would be no coming back from injuring Tōtsuki's prized jewel.

Erina was glad for the silence. If Soma were to spur up a convo she was afraid her voice would come out as a squeak. She was at the brink of fainting from embarrassment. She'd never been this close to a boy before, and it was pushing her over the edge. To make matters more embarrassing, this boy was her rival, Yukihara Soma. She wanted the ride to end as quickly as possible, for the fear of Soma noticing her increased heartbeat was eating at her. But even she could not deny the small amount of joy she was feeling. It was weird; she was always chauffeured in cars and planes. To be taken to her destination in such… how could she put it? Exciting? Warm manner? Whatever the feeling, it was like a rush! The wind, partnered with the warmth of his back… it was an interesting feeling to say the least.

The ride felt like eternity to Erina and when it finally came to an end as Soma pulled up to their class building, Erina hopped off as quickly as she could and turned from facing him. She didn't want him to see the enormous blush on her face. She gripped herself slightly, feeling a bit cold now that his body heat was gone from her. She immediately tried to get control of herself, wanting to rid the sure embarrassment that was painted red upon her features.

Soma tied the bike to the nearby rack and then turned and gave Erina thumbs up.

"How'd you enjoy your first bike ride?" He grinned wildly, completely unaware of the emotions going through Erina.

"Hmph" Erina tossed her hair and turned making her away to class. There was no way she would admit… that it was… even at the slightest. _Enjoyable_.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Oh yeah! Another chapter down and out! Hahaha. I thought it came out quite nicely don't you guys? Man that Erina, she will never admit to anything huh? Such a Tsundere… hahahhaha. And that Soma, he needs to get his head checked. Could he be any more dense!

Oh, btw did you guys read the new chapters! The way Erina was looking at SOMA! Such a great look. Hahaha. I love her Tsundere-ness. She's totally interested in all that he does, even if she doesn't want to admit it. Mangahere never shows my comments so sad. They only post comments from top rated people… like how do you even become that! -_-

Been reading that manga since Ch. 2! I should be a top commenter! LMAO. Though I guess it's for the sake of the better. I would spam the posts with Erina x Soma theories lol.

**SHEhadMEatHELLO: **Thank you! Hopefully there will be more on the site.

**Hunter-35:** Hahah your welcome! And don't put yourself down. You wont get better unless you work at your craft ;)

**Guest 1:** Hahaha. Yeah, I'm a big fan of Erina and Soma. I just love their relationship. The hotshot new guy from apparently low roots vs. the omnipotent and unchallenged snow queen. Isn't it a fun romance? Lol.

**PancakeTiger:** Hahah. It's funny because I kept checking for a SNS fanfic for forever. Got so upset that there was none. And when I saw that FF had created a category, I just had to write one.

**Guest2:** Thank you! XD And lookie what we have here… a Erina and Soma moment. Shoot me now lol. Hope you like it! Haha.


	3. Stupid Papaya Salad

If the level of tension in the room could be visually measured by gravity, the whole class would be at the Earth's core right now…

Having already suffered a humiliating means of transportation, and after being told that she would have to partner with her arch-nemesis, the aura coming off of the Tōtsuki princess was that of death. She was beyond the point of irritation. To her, this day could not get any more frustrating.

She wanted to plead to her grandfather for a different outcome, for a different partner. ANYONE besides Yukihara Soma! It was so unfair. How come Alice had her aide Ryō, but she didn't have Hisako! However, she refrained from such undignified actions. She was not going to lower herself to those standards. The little princess did her best to keep herself calm on the outside.

It was tense. Even a child could tell something was amiss. Everyone could feel the atmosphere; everyone but Soma and Nakiri-sensei. The two looked weightless, perfectly comfortable in their own shoes.

Senzaemon looked more than pleased at the little bit of animosity he created. He knew he couldn't teach Erina everything, and he knew there would come a time where even his teachings would not be able to reach her. She was a rare talent, and she would excel past him. At that point, her growth would decay, for there would be no one to challenge her. He struggled to find a solution to this dilemma, but at the entrance ceremony, he knew, the young cook with the fierce look in his eyes and the unwavering grin was the answer.

Staying true to his nature, Soma was just oblivious of it all. He didn't feel the pressure of partnering with Erina nor did he sense any animosity from her. He strode to the cooking station Nakiri had sat herself at and took a seat besides her without a care.

Erina glared at him but it went unnoticed or ignored by the teen… which of the two she couldn't tell.

Nakiri-sensei then named the dish to be made today, Papaya Salad! He told them it was Thailand's iconic salad, and he gave them the basic ingredients as well as the majority of the class time to finish it. In the last few minutes, he said he would taste test them and either approve or disapprove of their dishes. With that said he announced for the groups to begin.

Almost everyone was taken by surprise. A salad? That's their first test? Why would such a simple dish be requested? Even the most basic of cooks could make a salad…

Nakiri Senzaemon leaned back against his chair, unfazed by all their looks. He had expected this. But this salad was much different from the normal. It was not just a basic salad with dressing. A Papaya Salad is a dish compromised of so many different flavors and toppings that there was not just one way to make it. Also, the dressing on this dish was to be hand made! That would be the real key to this piece, as it revolves around a blend of the Papaya's and the other ingredients. He could not wait to see what the children would come up with.

Soma glanced over at Erina, which signaled her attention.

"You ready?"

Erina just glowered at him and said nothing. Instead she got up to get the tools needed to make the dish. She didn't need someone else's help. She could make this stupid Papaya Salad all by herself. Though she had never made a questionable dish such as this before, the instructions were quite clear and she was more than confident of her own skill. It was just a salad after all. There was no need for teamwork…

Soma let out a sigh. It was going to be a long day. He followed her lead, letting her get the cooking tools while he went to pick out the ingredients.

Looking at the other groups, their was definitely more excitement happening. In group one, Ikumi and Takumi were already going at it with Shun trying to mediate the two. Eventually he decided to give up and move on.

"Listen meat head, this is more of a vegan meal! I'm taking the lead here!"

"S-Shut up! Just because I specialize in meat doesn't mean I can't make a dish without it! Plus I think we can add some meat in there!"

While the two were arguing Shun got the materials and equipment ready. He placed it at their station, and while seeing his two teammates still arguing, he began grinding up the ingredients in a mortar to form the key paste. This salad was very special as apposed to others and he knew that. It's all about the unique hand made dressing.

"Hey smoky, what do you think your doing!" Ikumi shouted now noticing Shun had already started making the key ingredient of the dish without them.

Takumi also now realizing Shun had already started, raced over to him.

"Gimme-that! Let me show you how to use a mortar properly" Takumi took the mortar and started grinding the ingredients Shun had placed in a flamboyant and elaborated fashion, twisting and turning his hands and hips in all sorts of directions.

"This is the Aldini family secret technique!

Ikumi and Shun eyed each other and then deadpanned at Takumi. They couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I didn't know there was a secret way to use a mortar," Shun said through bits of laughter.

"That's some secret technique you got their Aldini," Ikumi commented sarcastically, trying to stifle her giggle. "With all that hip action, I would of thought you're Spanish, not Italian..."

In group two everything was going according to plan, Nakiri Alice's plan that is. Ryōko and Ryō dutifully followed her instructions, Ryōko being very cooperative because she just wanted things to go as smoothly as possible.

"This is great! A future head scientist like myself in the field of Gastronomy could always use more assistants. Because Erina had one, I had to get one. But having two! Ha! Look at me now Erina!" The silver haired Nakiri started grinning madly to herself. The feeling of being back in a lab with her parents, with workers at her command; it was a sensation of pure joy.

Ryōko nudged Ryō in the side. "Is she always like this?"

"Alice? Hmm…" He pondered for a moment. "Yeah."

"She seems to also have a thing about one-upping Erina."

The boy nodded a bit knowingly. "That is also true. Erina and Yukihara."

Group three probably had the most comfortable atmosphere of all. Megumi, Hisako, and Akira were getting along better than any of the three had expected, and this was probably because of all of their passive natures. This in turn gave much relief to one nervous Tadokoro Megumi. She was glad for the relaxed environment they had.

Hisako was also quite pleased with the group, but she could not help herself from stealing glances at Soma and Erina every now and then. Megumi noticed her constant peeking and patted her on the back. She was actually quite hesitant at first to do so, but thanks to their great group atmosphere she found the confidence easily.

"If you want to check on them you can," Megumi said knowingly.

Hisako blushed embarrassingly and shook her head.

"No, I'm part of this group! Sorry, I will try to focus more."

"Don't worry. They will be fine. I understand the feeling, I also can't help but wonder how's it going over there." Her motherly tone and warm comments seemed to ease Hisako. She in turned smiled and nodded.

"Thanks… " Hisako said lowly, head down, too embarrassed to meet Megumi in the eye. Having then seemed rejuvenated, she beamed brilliantly at Tadokoro. "Yeah, your probably right. Ok, let's focus on our dish!"

Megumi nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

Akira just watched the two and did his share of the work. He didn't feel the need to partake in the conversation. He was contempt doing what he was assigned.

Erina's aide and the clumsy girl were actually very tolerable. As snotty as he thought Erina was, the aide seemed to be fairly nice. He would have never thought her so; he guessed it was probably because of Erina. Tadokoro on the other hand, whom he had known from previous encounters, was a nice girl. He didn't talk to her much but from what he saw, she reminded him of Jun…

She was awkward and gullible, over-trusting and talkative, but sweet and kind… Soma's friend bared too many similarities to his mentor, thus he had mixed feelings about working in a group with her. As soon as the director announced that they were to be in a group, he couldn't help but be slightly aggravated. He didn't want to be reminded of Jun… he had to abstain from talking to her and focus on his cooking. He promised her that!

Akira sighed… having Tadokoro in his group was going to do him no favors in trying not to think about Jun…

Attention now back on the only team of two, Soma had allowed Erina to take the lead. He decided why not get some experience as a supporting chef, even though he preferred to actually lead himself. He also didn't want to upset the ever so volatile ice queen, and so he tried a more hands off approach.

Erina grabbed the mortar and Soma tossed her a Papaya for grinding. She eyed it curiously and then gave the fruit a squeeze.

_It was hard. _

Judging from the color of the one she was holding, and the others in Soma's hand, not a single one of them was ripe.

She turned and gave him a stern look. "Your useless you know that."

"Hmm?" Soma hummed. He wasn't really sure what she was talking about.

"These papayas. They are the main ingredients to this dish! You let everyone else pick out the best ones and you got not a single ripe fruit."

"Oh that!" The young cook grinned completely uncaring of her tone. This was how Erina behaved with him, he was used to it. "I did that on purpose."

Erina couldn't believe her luck. What the hell was he thinking? "Are you trying to fail?"

"Trust me ok? It's better to have the unripe ones. Everyone thinks the ripe fruit is better, but not for this dish. I've made this plate before! Restaurant Yukihara's secret menu #33!"

Erina rolled her eyes at his stupid little secret menu dishes. He seemed to have served an infinite number of them during his time at his little family shop.

"Figures you would have made a plebian dish like this before. Explain then."

Soma grinned. He ignored her little insult as always and got right into the logic behind wanting unripen papayas.

"Well to start, the dish is locally known as Som Tam. And despite that the main ingredient is papaya, which one usually figures as sweet, the dish is actually very tangy. The texture of this dish is also very crisp and somewhat firm, sometimes even to the point of crunchiness. And the only way to get this taste and texture is through the use of the fruit being unripe."

Erina was impressed, a feat that only few have ever accomplished. Her eyes had widened a little but she was quick to recover. He explained in such detail and knowing… She dared not show her surprise, especially not to him. Instead she focused on what he said and nodded.

"I see. It is that which allows the fruit to endure the beating of the mortar."

Soma's grin widened, he knew she was a quick learner. "Exactly."

Erina said nothing else and got to making the blend. The two worked in further silence, weirdly well. Erina's astonishment continued to grow. He matched her movements to the tea. He was able to keep up with her cooking, and he even predicted her next actions so he would be ready to help. In a matter of moments, they had made the perfect mixture, containing pounded garlic, chilies, the unripen papayas, fish sauce, tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients.

It was then that Soma came up with an idea. His creative mind was always at work, and the thought of a way to evolve the dish just popped in his mind.

"I got an idea! Something to give the Som Tam a bit more texture!"

Erina tried to refrain from rolling her eyes again. "Please Yukihara-kun… we've actually got this far and the dish is pretty much done. Don't go getting one of your crazy ideas now."

Soma laughed and again ignored her. "Lets add peanuts!"

Erina stopped what she was doing and gave him a cold glare. "No."

"Listen, I'm telling you it will add to the texture."

Erina didn't feel like entertaining him. She entertained his stupid bike ride. She entertained the use of the unripen papaya (even though that made sense). She was even _allowing_ him to take part in helping her. By her standards, Erina figured she had been quite tolerable as of late.

But she was not going to let him add whatever he wanted to their dishes. If she let him this time, then surely the next assignment he will do the same. She had to nip it in the bud. This was not her way of doing things.

She was not going to let him add peanuts to their dish.

"I won't say it again…"

Yukihara in return just gave her a bored look, completely unimpressed. He'd seen her get like this so many times. She was even doing her signature look, legs slightly ajar and hands placed firmly on her hips. He would bet at any moment she was going to flick back her hair-

"No"

And there it was. She flicked her hair.

He grinned a bit, she was so predictable. Erina was slightly confused at his smirk, but when he walked away from the station without even the slightest retort, she beamed triumphantly.

'_That's right. Know your place Yukihara. You can try those weird ideas of yours with your plebian followers.'_

With the _battle_ won and Erina seemingly in a better mood, she focused on the presentation of the now finished dish.

She was so absorbed in the final touches of the salad that she did not notice Soma returning to the station; spoon in one hand while the other was firmly clasped, squeezing and grinding something.

All the while making his way towards her, he used the spoon to scoop some of the remaining dressing in the mortar that was left unattended. Then with his other hand, he sprinkled the now crushed peanuts over the dressing, coating it nice and evenly on the spoon.

"Erina."

Hearing her name, the blonde sighed. From his voice, she knew who it was.

'_God this man's insufferable."_

Just when she thought she'd gotten rid of him, he returns. She should of known it wouldn't be that easy.

'_It never is with Yukihara…'_

The Tōtsuki princess then began to turn around.

"Wha-"

Before she could even react, it was already over. Soma had taken the peanut-dressed-filled spoon and shoved it into her partly opened mouth. Her light violet eyes shot wide open; she was completely caught off guard.

The smooth yet bumpy texture of the peanut dressing held by the metal of the spoon was pressed forcefully against her delicate tongue. Almost instantaneously, the dressing melted and the taste started to spread. The first flavor to hit her was the blast from the pungent Papaya. Her rival was right, the tangy taste provided from the unripe papayas was exploding in her mouth. And not only that, but the piquant taste it formed in combination with the other ingredients was overwhelming. Finally when it all seemed to have all melted away, what remained on her godly palate were small crumbs of peanut.

Unlike the dressing, it had not dissolved on her tongue.

Unconsciously, Erina bit into one of the crumbs, and what hit her was an aftermath of eruptions. The little crumb had soaked up the papaya mixture into its own body, and the fusion of the papaya dressing mixed with the saltiness of the peanut created a whole new flavor when cracked open. They were like tiny mines, exploding one at a time after every bite.

A visual image then materialized to Erina; She was on a battlefield, wearing a worn and damaged female army dress. She was riding in the passenger seat of some random desert patrol army vehicle over bumpy terrain, taking part in some haphazard war. Explosions and bombs were going off all around her, but thanks to the amazing maneuvers and reactions by the driver, they were expertly dodging them all. Erina turned to face the driver seat and saw and army clad Soma, hands firmly on the wheel and foot pressed hard on the gas. He also looked somewhat dirty, worn and tired, probably because of the war she figured; but when he turned to her, he was anything but.

His face was radiating with excitement. His eyes shined intensely, his golden orbs showing so much delight and thrill. His smile was also typical Soma, wide and brilliantly white. He looked so calm, even though they were surrounded by warfare. It was such a powerful feeling he was giving off, even she felt comfortable amidst all the fighting. He looked valiantly handsome, even with all the dust and smudges of dirt on him.

She couldn't help but blush. His fierce look was stirring up all sorts of emotions in her.

"Erina" he said. She didn't know how she could hear him, with all the noise and chaos around them. She just _could_. Somehow his voice came threw it all, and for some reason the need to answer him was so strong at the moment.

"Yes," Erina meekly mumbled, while leaning towards him afraid of missing what he might say next. She wanted to say his name, answer him properly, but it was all she could get out. She was breathless…

"How was it?"

'_Huh?'_

Erina was taken back.

_What? How was what? What is he talking about?_

The battle worn Soma then leaned in towards her his face merely inches from hers. All was forgotten. His confusing question, the car, the bombs, the mines and explosions, everything! It became completely silent. Erina shut her eyes tightly. She didn't know why, she did it instinctively. She was scared but wanting. She was expecting something to occur.

However, to her surprise displeasure nothing happened… she then opened up her eyes only to see her environment had changed. She was back in the classroom, at her station, back leaned against her table and spoon hanging from her mouth.

There in front of her stood a smug Soma, a look she remembered all too well, reminiscent of their first meeting.

"So, how was it?"

Erina gritted her teeth and bit on the spoon hard. She bowed her head slightly, admitting defeat. This day, first the bike ride now this… she needed it to end.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Hahaha… that Soma, he sure knows how to let his food do the talking!

I want to say sorry guys for the long wait! I had a minor issue Fanfiction, and it's actually still unresolved. Some of you might know my other story Slay Me? Well, for some reason it does not pop up under the Shokugeki No Soma section. Like I know Slay Me says Shokugeki No Soma, but when you click to see all Shokugeki No Soma work, it's not there! Ugh, it's been such a pain. I have no idea what to do… Is this just me? Oh wells…

Also the new chapters of Soma been amazing! Ugh I wish there were some Erina-Soma moments! lmao. Actually even just more Erina would be nice lol. But I guess I have to wait, the author himself did say not much Erina would be around because of the tournament.

Plus OMG. Ryō is better than Alice? And the way he spoke to her! WHAT! See, this is the issue when writing a story based on another story that's technically only begun. Characters develop. Here I had this concept Ryō was more of a follower like Hisako but just more badass… now, ARGH! What a plot twist! HAHA. Great for the manga, not for my story lol.

Wow, I got a lot of reviews! Thank you so much! I don't want to take up too much space responding so, sorry if some of the comments are a bit short!

**TeddyHugs: **Yes! I loved that moment too. I thought it came out pretty good! I kept rewriting that moment over and over until it felt right haha.

**Guest Feb26:** Thank you! Yeh, I tend to overwrite sometimes, so sometimes there will be silly lines. Haha. I'll try to cut down. And me too!

**Hunter-35: **Your welcome=]

**IceEagle9:** Haha Thank you! I re-read SNS over and over while waiting for update! Like I really do lol.

**Guest Mar9:** Haha! Sorry for the wait. I'm glad your enthused over my story XD! Hope you like the update ;)

**CityHunter22:** As you wish! Here you are haha.

**PancakeTiger:** :) Thank you! I try my best to keep them in character until I develop them lol. Yay! I think the same thing! Kanon seems so special to me, she has to reappear somewhere! And to the Polar Star Dorm? LMAO. I don't know. Maybe, I can't see it for now. She's too high mighty to do something like that unless forced lol.

**KurabaraIto:** Haha. Thank you! Yes the manga is just so addicting!

**Debdub:** Haha! Thank you! Keep crying (Not really haha)! Because soon there will be more! (I hope XD)

**Digital-Mail: **Hahaha! So professional! And I will no worries! I try to proof read, and I never update until a day later so that way I can read over the chapter. But ahh, some stuff always slips by.

**XMamaPandaX:** Hahah. I will try to live up to your expectations XD.

**Kiukun-Nadralexe: **Aww… I didn't put much reaction in the chapter. Sorry! I kind of skipped though it. There will be more moments trust me! Haha!

**S:** Haha! Thank you very much! Their relationship to me is the most fun thing about the manga. I can't wait to see what the author does ;)

**Healthy:** Yup Healthy! You are definitely right. I know she's not Ganguro. I'm just using it as a reference to describe her. I hope that hasn't upset you.

**AnimeXwolfy:** LMAO. Hayama X Jun huh? I could make an attempt to, but first I want to focus on this story. You can already see how long it takes for me to update Haha. There will bits of Hayama X Jun in this story in the mean time lol. Though I'm not sure what I want to do with him yet… Hmmm lollll.


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